Game apparatus.



" A. H. PORTER; GAME APPARATUS.

AITPLIGATIOK TILED APR.28. 1909.

- .fatented Jan 31, 1911.

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A. H. PORTER.

GAME APPARATUS. nnwumk nun An. as. 71909.

Patented Jazz 31, 1911.

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munuq Unrfrni) STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED E. ?OB'1" E, F MONMOUTE vIBEAGH, NEW JERSEY.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

paratus, of which the following is a specificstion.

My invention relates to games, and more pzlrticulerly to u game-board or apparatus having features or elements adapted to be manipulated for reproducing in miniature the mam features of the, gmnc of base-ball. It has for its object to provide for a construction and arrangement of pzirts permitting of a wide range of discretion and skill in pitching and batting so that the element of chance will to a large measure be eliminoted. and the reward of'thc players will depend mainly on their skilful playing or manipulation of the elements or parts em.- ploycd in pinyin the game; and also in which the disyositionund movement of parts will clearly resemble the actual outdoor ame. the exercise of 'ud 'ment and skill b ID on the part of the players adding largely to the interest of the game.

To the accoinplishnzent of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter $0 zipper? the invention consistsin the features hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming apart .ercof, and in 'which Figure 1 is a, perspective iew of the board with the parts arranged in position v for playing the game: Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the miniature pitcher; Fig. 3 a plan Wier: of the same; Figfi a side elevation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 28,

' GAME APPARATUS.

Patented Jan, 31, 19. .1.

1939. Serial No. 482,857.

. I stop, thus making it possible by skilful ma Be it known that I, Anrneo H. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monmouth Bench, county of Monmouth, and

5 State of New Jersey, have invented certain l new and useful Improvements in (ionic Apnipulution of the miniature butter to direct a ball through the space between any two stops and past. one or more rows oi the stops. The stops will be positioned by one of the players, say, by the plixyer representing the nine in the iieid, andqccording he the judgment of the player gs to make it most difficult for the player at the bagto direct the ball clear of the stops and past one row to another. Tie first row of 5Y0 being the easiest to reach with the batted ba will entitle the batter to a one-base bit if his batted ball strikes one of the stops in the first row. The second row, being more difiicult to reach, will entitle the batter to a tivo-base bit if he bats the ball with sufficient skill to pass it beyond the first row and the ball strikes stop of the second row. The. third row being still more diflicult to reach, will entitle the batter to a third-base hit if he be skilful enough to diroot the ball against- :1 stop of that row. The stops of the srverul rows may also be so positioned (for instance, as illustrated in the drawing) that by the most sliilful bet ting, the bull may be directed past the several rows of stops so that it will strike the back flange of the board, and in that event the batter will be entitled to a home run..

0 the miniature butter; and Fig. 5 a plun View of the same.

The game comprises iii-general a board provided with a raised border flange and :n'ing outlined thereon a base-ball diamond 45 which may be in contrasting colors, and with ll'illLtl in the dzswing) and be located corresponding to the position of nien in the field and at bases at the discretion and in the judgment of the player representing the ,pitching side will best intercept the ball. These figures are dcsignated'by the numeral l places for the pitcher 2 and batter 3 in l 5, for convenience. and preferably are proper position in relation to the diamond. I formed with extending arms 6 so as to be On the remniningsuriace of the board will moreapt to intercept the ball, and they may, 'be disposed a number of movable stops 4 the if desired, be colored like ball players, but 60 same preferably being arranged in three such is not necessary. If one 0 the figures rows, and which will be so arran ed that i be knocked over by the ball, the batter will each willstop a ball moving in its irection be caught out; but if the figure is merely and striking the stop but, no one of which I moved without tipging over, it will be will between the batter and any other countedas an error y the fielder.

i i l l l l i i form illustrated the ball-holder consists of 'a metal-loop 15 in which the ball may seat the right or left, thus tempting: the ham-r to thr- ';-l wh h in lines forward. The

The miniature pit her 3, which may he colored like a hall player, is l'L\'Ullll)l at tached to the board, for in-iance by a pivot peg 6 lilting loosely in a hole in the hoard. A handle or wing 7 extending preferably from the hack of the figure allows the pitcher to he turned in' the desired direction so as to send the ball over the lnune-piate, or, if desired, to either side. The arm 8 swings forward and hack on a shaft or pin 9 and is actuated by suitable means, for instance, in one direction by a cord 10 and in the other direction by a suitable spr-in", for instance, by an elastic hand I] which illustrated as attached to the has: of the ligure by a staple 12 and at the other end to the arm. A suitable stop, for instance apin 12, will restrict the swing of the arm. The hand of the arm is supplemented with a pivoted hall-holder 14 of suitable form and constructionadapted to receive the hall in a cavity in which the ball will seat. In the and which lS ttiUlCllQd to the hand by a pivot 16 and has a rearwardly extendingportion or loop 17 to which latter the actuating cord 10 is attached, which cord may pass through the handle or wing 7 so as to he sustained by the handle. When the cord is pulled from behind the arm is drawn back against the tension 01. the spring 11, while the ballholder, by reason of living pivoted, remains practically horizontal in all positions of the arm until the cord is released; when the weight of the ball will depress the front of the holder and at the same instant the arm will swing forward under the influence of the actuatingspringz and propel the ball along the surface ofthe board, the direction of propulsion'heing controlled by the discretion and skill of the p ayer in adjusting the position of the miniature figure, and the speed of .the ball likewise being controlled by the discretion and skill of the-' player in placing the actuating spring under greater or less tension by the extent of backward movementof the arrn and the point of releasing tension on the spring. This makes it possible for the player manipulating the miniature pitcher to deliver mostpuzzling balls to the hatter. first fast, then slow, to

to strike at halls out of reach, or to strike too early or too lite, as or in simulaiiou of the actual out-door game.

The miniature butter 3 may colored like i a base-hall player, and is revoluhly connected to the board. for instance, by a pivot peg l8 lilting loosely in a hole in the board so that the figure may easily be turned laterally in any direction. To the body of the figure is attached the arm or arms 19 in a suitable manner so as to swing lramsverscly pn-l'vi'rwl manner of attaching the arm to thulioily oi the figure is h fullllll'lg' a :ii-elo-i 20 in the hotly transvvrselv of th same and inclining downwardly iunl in which thenu-snher con tituting the :ll'll; or arms. I! is hinged, or pivoted by a pin r spindle '1], as illustrated clearly in Fig. l of the drawing, so that the arm will ext nd at an angle to the surface of the hoard and be capable of swinging from one sid to the other transversehy to the hody of the figure, a hot 22 being supported at the lower or hand end th the arm memher; The llfltly of the figure inclines forwardly so as to simulate the posture of a batter at the bat, and by pivoting the arm member in the socket as described, the bat is caused to describe a swinging sweep in the swinging of the arm from one side (lithe-body to the. other, the lowest,

point' of the sweep being in front oi the an elastic band 23 attached at one end to any eye 24; connected to the arm member and at the other end to the pivot pin or spindle 21 as illustrated. It is drawn toward the other side of the body, or the striking position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, by means of a cord 25. When drawn from its normal position shown by full lines in Figs. 4 and 5 to its raisedstriking position illustrated by dotted lines, in Fig. 5, the spring is put under tension. and wheirthe cord is released the spring draws the arm and bat downward and then upward with swinging sweep before mentioned. If the ball thrown by the miniature pithhcr is encountered by the hat at the low point of the sweep of the -hat it will he. driven by the force of the hlow over the surface of the board and in the direction for which the player adjusts the miniature figure. The player efiects this adjustment by grasping a handle or wing 26 extending: from the rear of ihe'ligure and turning the figiire on its pivot to such position as in his judgment will cause the hat to strike the hall in the path while the other player has caused the miniature pitcher to propel it, the batter player also exercising his judgment. as to the length of the hackward stroke to be given to the batters arm and the consequent tension of the returning sprm If the hattcrs arm under tension is released too slow ortoo quick the batwill fail to strike the ball in the orward sweep of the hat and a strike will be counted against the hatter. if the ball is struck by the hat the direction iii-which it is propolled will he determined by the position to I which the player has adjusted the minialure hatter; and the credit for the play is coumml ovum-ding to its success as pro riously stated.

judgment are likewise required on the part of the playing pitcher in pitching; the hall in a manner and directi n most. likely to mislead or surprise the leauer.

Strikes and balls will he counted as in he actual out-door game.

he posiiions of the base runners may be indicated by figures differently colored and located to represent the batting side placed behind a base to denote a runner on that base, but such figures are not illustrated as they do not constitute. an essentially novel feature of the invention;

,l have illustrated and described what I consider to be the best details in construction of the several parts but variations can be made therein without omitting essential featuies-of theinvention. p 7

The body of the batter'will incline more" orless forwardly, and the but will extend at a greater or less angle to the horizontal, according as it may be desired to have the outer end of the bat at a greater or less distance from the plane of the bodrd or field,- in the swing of the bat,'according as the wishes of the maker of {he game-board may determine.

Hung described my invention and set forth its merits, what I-claim is:--

1. In a game apparatus representing the game of base-ball, a pitcher-figure provided with a swinging arm to impel a hall supported by the arm, said figure being pivot ally supported to turn around its longitib dinal axis to control the direction of propulsion of the ball, and means under the control of a player for determining the time of projecting the ball and the speed of its propulsion, substantially as described.

'2. In a game apparatus represi-uting the game of base-hall, a pitcher-figure provided with a swinging arm to impel a ball supported by the arm, said figure being pivot ally supported to' turn around its longitudinal axis to control the direction of propulsion of the ball, substantially as described.

3. In a game apparatus representing the game of base-hall, a pitcher-figure provided with aswing'mg arm to impel a ball, and a lmlldmlder pivotallyconnected with one end esspeo' U w 3 with '2 swinging arm to impel a hall. a ballholder movable relatively to llll. end of the arm, and means for retracting the arm and simultaneously changing the position of the hall-holder relatively to the arm, suhstmr tially as described. l

5. In a game apparatus representing the game of base-ball, a pitcher-figure provided with a swinging arm to impel a ball, a ball- .holder pirotally connected with one end of the arm, means connected with said holder for retracting the arm and simultaneously changing the position of the ball-holder relafiivel \-'.to'tl1e arm, said ball-holder operating to tilt downwardly under the weight of a ball so ported thereon in the return movement 0 the arm, substantially as des'ribed.

6. In a game apparatus representing the game of base-ball, a batter-figure provided with an arm-member carrying a bat and connected with the body of the figure to swing. transversely acroas the front of the body, said figure being pivotally supported to turn around its longitudinal axis .to change the. direction of sweep of the hat in the swinging of the arm-member, substantially as de- 7.;In a game apparatus representing the ante of base-ball, a batter-figure having the mod? portion above the legs inclined forwamlly of the legs and provided with an ammember carrying a bat, said BX'ID'XHL'IH- ber extending downwardly in a forward direcliion from the inclined body-portion and connected therewith to swing transversely across the front of the body and impart a sweeping curvilinear movement to the hat in the swing of the arm-member, said figure being pivofally supported to turn around its longitudinal axis to change the direction of sweep of the hat, substantially as described.

8. In a game apparatus representing the game of base-hall. a batter-figure formed with a downwardly inclined socket in the body portion above the legs. said socket be- E lug open at the front-of the bodyian armm-emher carrying a hatand downwardly inclined in front kilifthe' body portion and pivotally supplirtcd in said so ket to give a curvilinear sweep to the bat in the swing of the arm'mcmber, said figurdheing pivotally supported to turn around its longitu-' dinal axis tochange the direction of sweep (if/(he bat in the swing of the arm-member. and a wing member extending: from the figure to effect its rotati've movement, substantially as described. l

i 9. A game apparatus representing the game of base-ball, comprising-aboard rcpreseuting a base-ball diamond and field. a pitcher-ligmre having an arm adapted to of the arm, substantially as described.

4. In a game apparatus represent ng the game ofliase-ball, a pitcher-figure provided swing relatit'ely to the figure, said figure being: pivotally supported to turn around its longitudinal axis to control the (llI'QCUOn of 4,, f V. v T 983,250

ropulsion of the pitched ball, a bati'enfig- Z twepn flu: bat r and any other stop, and a are having-a swinging arm-member carryscrics of iiliabln figures disposc d on the ,surjug a bat, said ar'm being connected with the fan- 01' the board, snbstantiadiy as described. body portion of the figure to sweep the but 3 Signed at New York city, in the county of 5 i! a curvilinear path in the swing of the, Km York and State of New Yul-k, this 5H1 arm-member and said figure heiilg pivotally 1 dayof April, 1909.

supported to' turn around its ongitudinal axis to :hange-the di-ection of sweep of the ALFLI D 1 O bat, eievated stops disposed in rows on the 10 field porfian of the board and in such position Hist one stop will not be disposed be- 7 JVitnesses:

Iuznmyx M. KILEY I H gmmx GUSTON. 

